Shisno Chronicles: Blazing Sword
by nightelf37
Summary: Basically, a 'retelling' of the GBA game Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken. It had been deleted before due to being accused of being a ripoff of other works, but I have cleaned those up now.
1. Prologue: A Girl from the Plains

nightelf37: I know that I'm busy with three stories already (Kingdom Hearts Remake 1: Retcon Version, Shisno Chronicles: Friendship is Magic series, Equestria Fortress 2), but this plot bunny has been gnawing into my mind already and I couldn't help but post it. I know someone's accused it for being a ripoff, but I rehashed the details so it would be a bit more original.

**Shisno Chronicles: Blazing Sword**

_Once, dragons and men coexisted._  
_They shared a peace forged in wisdom,_  
_a peace that lasted many generations._  
_All that was lost when mankind disrupted_  
_this balance in a sudden onslaught._  
_Man fought dragon in a savage war_  
_that shook the foundations of their world._  
_This war was called The Scouring._  
_Defeated and humbled,_  
_dragons vanished from the realm._  
_In time, man rebuilt and spread his_  
_dominion across the land and_  
_on to the islands beyond._  
_A millennium has passed_  
_since those dark days ended._

FERnKBB—FERnKBB—FERnKBB—FERnKBB  
(This stands for Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken; Blazing Blade)

**Prologue: A Girl From The Plains**

Mark Shisno. That was his name. The first thing he tried to recall was his appearance. He remembered that he had brown spiky hair partly due to not combing it at all. He also had fair skin and blue eyes. He wore a green cape, a black shirt, two red intersecting belts over his chest, black pants, a brown buckle belt, boots for traveling, and brown fingerless gloves. Once he remembered that, he decided to open his eyes.

He woke up with a start and realized that he was in a tent. He didn't own one, and he was pretty sure the bedroll he was in wasn't his. Neither he nor his sister brought tents with them. _Speaking of which, where is my sister?_ he thought. As he started to feel fear and nervousness creep through him, he took several more deep breaths and thought things through.

Last thing he remembered was that he and his sister, Kat, were 'sent down' to one of the many plains in the region of Sacae. Some time had passed and both of them fainted from heatstroke. That was all he could remember.

He looked around anxiously and after a few seconds of frantic looking he saw another bedroll that had his sister. He calmed down a bit. Kat had brown hair (like him) that was at mid-back length and was around 11 years old (Mark was 18). She also had blue eyes and fair skin like him. As for her clothes, she wore a green cape, a black halterneck, a skort which was black on the skirt part and white on the shorts part, boots for traveling, brown fingerless gloves, and a green-and-white-striped bonnet.

Relieved that she was okay, Mark turned to the opening. The angle of the sunlight coming from the tent flap proclaimed that it was midday. Also, he saw that the weather was clear skies.

"I see you're awake," a voice said from outside.

Mark then saw a stunningly beautiful 15-year-old girl walk in (or was she 18?). The first thing he noticed, once he looked again, was her wide blue eyes. She had long green hair down to the middle of her back tied in a single ponytail. She wore a blue tunic-skirt, with long slits on the sides of the skirt portion to allow for easier mobility.

"I am Lyn, of the Lorca tribe," she introduced herself. "You're safe now. Who are you? Can you remember your name?"

"My name's Mark Shisno. My sister here's Kat."

Lyn gave a short chuckle. "What an odd-sounding name…" Mark and Kat just rolled their eyes. The name Shisno **is** odd. "But pay me no mind. It is a good name. I see by your attire that you are travelers. What brings you to the Sacae plains?"

"Sacae?"

"Let me explain…"

Just before she could start, Kat slowly woke up. Mark asked that Lyn continue, with Kat listening in, although she seemed to be a little uncomfortable. After explaining, Mark then made an explanation of why he and Kat were in the Sacae plains. Basically, they were lost and were on the verge of death had it not been for Lyn's timely rescue. Although they had a map, it was rather faded. Lyn took out a map of Elibe from somewhere in her tent. She opened it, and said that they were a few days travel from Bulgar, the largest city in Sacae.

"I see," Mark said after taking in this information. Just then, the three of them heard the thud of something hitting the ground.

"Hm? What was that noise?" Lyn asked.

"It sounded like a weapon landing on the ground," Kat guessed. "I'm thinking it's an axe."

This was followed by indistinguishable shouts.

"I'll go see what's happening," Lyn said. "Mark, wait here for me. Kat, stay with your brother."

Lyn took a peek and saw four bandits arguing about thirty-six yards away. The strongest one, presumably the leader, was gesturing to the north, while the other three seemed to want to go west.

"Oh no! Bandits!" she gasped then turned back to the tent's entrance. "They must have come down from the Bern mountains! They must be planning on raiding the local villages. I... I have to stop them! If that's all of them, I think I can handle them on my own. You two will be safe in the tent."

"Mind if we come with you?" Mark suggested as he took out two sticks from his back (concealed by his cape) and connected them into a staff. He then twirled it around to show his skill with it. As the two siblings exited the tent to join Lyn, Kat made a swift movement and two silver short blades appeared from beneath her sleeves. However, a closer look showed that these blades looked more like paintbrushes, although they were completely metallic. Kat called them dark judge brushes.

"I don't think your weapons would stand a chance against such axemen," Lyn said skeptically upon seeing their weapons.

"Perhaps not in the hands of mere laymen," replied Mark as he and Kat joined her as she stealthily approached the bandits. "But we were trained on using these things. I'm a tactician by profession and Kat is one, too."

"Well, we're both still learning," Kat admitted sheepishly. "Mark has more experience than I do."

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After a minute of arguing, the stronger bandit raised his axe, the steel glinting in the sunlight, and quickly smashed the blade down on one of his cohorts. Or at least would have had that cohort not jumped away, and then he seemed to concede with their leader's choice and went north. His companions followed, with the leader in the back, in case they changed their minds.

By that time, Lyn, Kat, and Mark were quietly stalking the bandits, using the bandits' inattention to their surroundings as cover better than anyone could find naturally. Lyn seemed to be a natural when it comes to stealth, and Kat fared quite well as she treaded lightly, taking an axe that fell on the ground (probably the one Lyn heard). Mark only managed to do average, snapping twigs once or twice, but he managed to avoid notice.

After a few minutes, the scum reached a small cluster of trees and stopped. The leader yelled at them for a minute and when they didn't move (they were probably tired), he gave up, marching ahead into the woods, shouting something that sounded like, "Three minutes!" The other three paused and spoke a bit, as Lyn and the two Shisnos slid over to their right flank.

After Mark analyzed the situation, he told Lyn, "We have only a short time before they start moving again; we'd best take down these guys before you go after the leader. No sense in outnumbering yourself unless you have to. I'd suggest you strike at the neck, since it's easier to hit than the heart. It'll take him down quickly and free you up to take on the others before their leader shows up." _Although we'll take care of them for you._

"I can see from their expressions that they obviously don't want to be here," Kat added. "If we take them down all at once, with any luck, we would meet very little resistance. *sigh* If only negotiations were an option…"

Lyn nodded to Mark and Kat's advice and used the trees as cover to sneak up behind the bandits. She looked back and, to her momentary confusion, saw that the Shisnos weren't there. She pushed it to the back of her mind and got behind the bandit. The other two talking to him noticed her and was about to say something when she drove her sword into his companion's throat, causing a gurgle as blood bubbled out of the Brigand's mouth.

His companions stood dumbly for a moment, clearly wondering how she got the jump on them as Lyn pulled her sword out of the dead one's neck. The surviving bandits regained their composure and raised their axes, preparing to charge at her. At that exact second, Kat came from behind the left bandit and quickly jabbed his pressure points with her brushes, forcing him to drop his axe and fall over to the ground, paralyzed and unconscious. A second later, Mark did a few good whacks with his staff, knocking the other bandit's axe off his hands, and then pinned him to another tree, threatening to choke him should he move. Kat then moved to that bandit and struck his pressure points, knocking him out cold.

_That was a little too…convenient_, Mark thought to himself. Just then, he saw that Lyn was about to cut down the unconscious bandits. He blocked her off with his staff and hissed, "What are you doing?"

"Bandits don't deserve to live!" Lyn answered, anger clouding her mind.

"Are you really that underhanded, Lyn? To kill a person while they're down?"

"Why didn't **you** kill them?"

"Kat and I are technical pacifists," Mark explained. "We vowed as much as possible not to kill, but that doesn't stop us from fighting and knocking them about. Besides, I heard that while it takes skill to take down an opponent, it takes more to do likewise without drawing blood. Something along those lines."

"Yes, we **did** technically let you kill that first one, but—"

Just then, a throwing axe whizzed through the air and zipped past Lyn, making a cut at her stomach. She doubled over in pain and Kat and Mark turned around to see—

"Who do you think you are?" the bandit leader boasted. "You killed my men! They weren't much to speak of, but they were mine! Your tricks and stealth may have helped you against those fools, but you can't stand up to Batta the Beast!"

"Can you hold him off, Kat?" Mark asked his sister, who nodded. "I'll get Lyn to safety."

As he did just that, collecting Batta's thrown axe, Batta scoffed, "I won't go easy on anybody. Not even a girl."

"I'd be disappointed if you did," said Kat.

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Once they were a distance away, Lyn said, "I'm carrying a couple of vulneraries in my satchel. They should heal me up. Would you get one for me?"

"I got something better," Mark said as he took out a blue bottle made of glass. "I hope this works…" He popped it open, and had Lyn drink it. A few seconds later, Lyn's stomach wound disappeared almost instantly.

"Whoa.", Lyn gasped. "What was that?"

"It's one of my personal medicines. I only got a few, so you should also let me know more about these vulneraries you got."

"Okay." Lyn got up, rejuvenated. "Let's get back."

"I'm with you."

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Meanwhile, Kat was finally wearing down Batta, who was recklessly swinging his axe at her as she dodged and 'poked' at his pressure points. For some reason, he didn't seem to be getting paralyzed from the hits.

"Come here, little girl!" growled The Beast. "Just hold still and I'll promise I'll make this quick!"

"Like that's gonna happen," Kat bantered as she saw Lyn come into view, who then slashed her sword into the muscles of Batta's back. The bandit leader made a pained noise, like a grunt mixed with a scream. Lyn sliced into his spine and then somersaulted over him as Kat backflipped away, driving her blade into the Beast's stomach. She quickly withdrew her sword from him and stepped back as Mark came over.

Batta fell to the ground mumbling, "Wha… How… did you?" before falling unconscious, dying quickly.

"Whew... That was a close one," Kat sighed in relief. "I didn't consider him having resistance to nerve attacks."

"Sorry for putting you in such danger," Lyn apologized. "I'll need to be stronger if I'm going to survive… Strong enough that no one can defeat me."

"Don't forget us," Mark added. "By the way, what is your reason behind such prejudice against bandits? Granted, they're an evil bunch, but nobody was so bent to killing them as you."

"My people—the Lorca—I am the last of my tribe," Lyn explained as she shed a tear. "My father was the chieftain. Bandits attacked six months ago, they came in the night, and slaughtered nearly everyone." Anger crept into her voice now. "They killed the elderly, the young, even the infants. When dawn came, at east ten of us were left; both my parents were dead… As the chieftain's daughter, I felt it was my duty to lead my people, but I'm so young, and my people were so old-fashioned. They wouldn't follow a woman. No one would follow me. They scattered across Sacae, I don't know where they are now, leaving only me." Another tear fell from her eyes.

Mark and Kat were discomposed by her response, along with a respect for the magnitude of her loss and while they hadn't gone through quite those circumstances, they knew the feeling of losing your whole world, seeing it all happen, and unable to stop it.

"I'm sorry for your loss, and that you had to explain," Mark apologized.

Lyn opened her eyes. "It's not your fault you didn't know. But I must be strong, for my parent's memory, for my people. I must be strong. Because of what they did…that is why I hate bandits so much."

"Well, bandits or not, they are still humans and nobody is beyond redemption, even though some may die as they get redeemed, or be redeemed by dying," Mark said. "The death of anyone is still a loss to the world. It should not be taken lightly, and neither should life."

"We respect our enemies, but bandits are foul scum, who show no respect to those they kill," Lyn argued.

"And to show no respect in return would make you no better," Kat countered. "You must not let your hatred consume you and deviate you from your respect for the sanctity of life.

"Or else, you'll be no better than the bandits you have sworn to slay," finished her brother.

Lyn nodded as she wiped her blade on the grass. As Kat then prepared to burn the corpse of Batta and the bandit Lyn killed, Mark moved the other two he and Kat incapacitated to one of the trees. After making certain they were still alive, they were left there.

As for Lyn and the Shisnos, then they moved their 'tent' a few hours journey closer to Bulgar, settling close to some trees. By that time, it was dusk.

"Kat, what were you saying earlier before that bandit interrupted us?" Lyn asked.

"Oh, that. About letting you kill that first bandit? Well, as tacticians, we needed to know a bit about your skills and that bandit was a prime target."

"Our pacifism is only limited to a personal level," explained Mark. "That is, we're okay with ordering others to kill. **Us** doing the killing, not so much. Yeah, it's a bit hard to comprehend. And it's been quite a day. We best go to sleep."

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The next day…

Mark and Kat awoke to the smell of tea and saw Lyn next to a small campfire, cooking some bird's eggs and strips of meat from one of the many animals that roamed the Sacaean plains. There was a pot of steaming tea next to the fire. Both of them stepped out of the tent and walked over to it.

"Good morning, guys," Lyn greeted. "Breakfast?"

"Yes, please," Mark replied as she was given a wooden plate. "It looks quite good."

Lyn put some of the eggs and meat on his plate and poured the tea into a cup. She did the same for his sister and herself. With a word of thanks, the two siblings accepted the tea and food, and began to eat, as Lyn did the same.

Mark chuckled. "You know, I never thought I'd actually enjoy tea back when I left home. Who knew warm tea could be so refreshing?"

Lyn chuckled, then asked, "Say, guys... I wanted to talk to you about something. I can see you two have some experience in the ways of war, being tacticians. Would you allow me to travel with you?"

"Shouldn't you get permission from—" Mark began to say.

"You forgot what she told us about her tribe yesertday?" Kat berated him.

"Oh, right."

"Mark, Kat, I want—I must become stronger, so that I may avenge my father's death!" Lyn said. "Yesterday's battle taught me something. I won't become stronger by sitting here alone. Tell me you'll train me, that you'll let me travel with you!"

"What do you think?" Kat asked.

"Why not?" Mark replied, then turned to Lyn. "Sure."

"You will? That's just wonderful! Thank you! Oh, thank you!" Lyn said with a smile. "We'll be better off working together, I know it. You'll be my master strategist, and I'll be your peerless warrior! We can do it! Right?"

"Don't forget me," Kat reminded her. "We're all in this together!"

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(O) - Priority 1  
O - Priority 2  
Δ - Priority 3  
X - Priority 4

**Mark Shisno**  
I'm Mark, the owner of this journal. Not much to say. Other than tactics, I also use the staff and know some martial arts. I also know a little magic, although I'm not about to show it yet.

**Kat Shisno**  
I'm Kat, Mark's sister. Not much to say, either. While I'm less experienced in tactics, I use judge brushes for self-defense and quick stunning. I also know a little magic as well.

**(O) Lyn of the Lorca**  
The last of the Lorca tribe in Sacae. She rescued us when we lost our way. While she may be a sweet girl at first sight, she has a personal hatred against all bandits.

**X Batta the Beast**  
A bandit leader we encountered who came from the mountains of Bern. We stopped him and his band before they could head for town and terrorize the citizens.


	2. Chapter 1: Footsteps of Fate

_The apprentice tacticians Mark and Kat and the young swordfighter Lyn. A strange trio on an even stranger journey. To prepare for the long road ahead, they go to Bulgar, the commercial center of Sacae. Unbeknownst to Lyn, she will discover something that will alter her life forever._

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**Chapter 1: Footsteps of Fate**

Lyn, Kat, and Mark traveled for several days along the road to Bulgar, taking an easy pace, neither the tacticians(-in-training) nor the swordswoman in any hurry to get there. Lyn had a sturdy brown-furred horse named Wanderer, who carried the collapsed tent, among other things. He had been resting at the other side of the tent when the bandits from before attacked. The Shisnos walked alongside the Sacaean, not having a horse to ride on. Kat kept asking her brother if she could use 'it', but he kept denying her requests. When Lyn asked what 'it' is, he refused to answer.

She then took out a small disc-like object that was the size of her hand. Mark did nothing as Lyn decided to look at the object. Apparently, it wasn't the 'it' Kat's brother didn't want her using. It had a button on the side, and a cylindrical protrusion ninety degrees clockwise of it. On the face was a circle that depicted the colors of the rainbow divided into eight sectors and a pointer on it as if to point on them. Four of those sectors had words depicted on them. The mostly gold sector depicted "Good". The green one "Law", the violet "Evil", and the red "Chaos".

"What's that?" Lyn asked.

"It's an item called an Alignment Compass," Kat explained. "It can tell me when somebody is good, evil, law-abiding, 'chaotic', or a combination of the aforementioned. It's hard to explain how it works."

"I see. You never told me where you two were from."

"Is it necessary for you to know?"

"…I guess not." Lyn then changed the subject to the Alignment Compass. "Mind if you use that on me? I want to see what happens."

"Sure thing."

Kat pointed the Alignment Compass (abbreviated as the AC) at Lyn and pressed the button. The pointer spun around for a while until finally landing on the gold sector.

"I see that the Compass sees you as 'Neutral Good'," Kat said. "It means you're an all around good person. While you never adhered to any rules, you never broke any either. I'll explain once we meet somebody of such alignment. Oh, sorry if you don't understand. It's just—"

"Save the long talk for when we rest," Mark cut in. "We can't have you getting tired just from talking."

"Okay, brother."

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A few days later, they finally reached Bulgar. Their plan was to purchase supplies and maps for their trip, and after that, Lyn wanted to go to the Shrine of the Mani Katti, to follow an old Sacaean tradition of praying at the shrine before a long journey.

Before Mark and Kat were 'sent down' to the Sacaean plains, they were given an 'allowance' of gold coins that were the currency of Elibe to spend. Kat explained to Lyn that they earned it from their travels before meeting her. They purchased two rooms at an inn with some of that gold (Kat sharing a room with Lyn), as they had arrived near sunset. The next day, the three met down at the entrance of the inn, and they set out to purchase their supplies.

The city of Bulgar, in full light, was really a small town surrounded by plenty of tents. The core of the city was a collection of clay buildings, where the inns and many of the shops were as well. While there was a currency used in the town, barter was still practiced, with weapons from Bern being exchanged for Sacaean tea, Lycian crafts for Etruian tomes. As the three approached a shop to purchase a map, a voice came from down the corridor between the buildings.

"Oh, my heart! What dazzling vision of loveliness has graced mine eyes this day?" the man was saying. He seemed to be what one would consider a knight, wearing a green breastplate, and having dusty blond hair that reached his neck and a gray band on his forehead, keeping some of his hair from covering his eyes.

"If you're looking at this young girl here, she's off-limits," Mark said, barring his sister from him.

"I don't think he's looking at me," Kat told her brother as she used the AC on the man. As the AC spun, she thumbed at Lyn, and Mark saw that she couldn't help but look up at the man.

"O beauteous one, surely you are an angel descended from heaven to bless this poor knight!" he continued, stopping less than three feet away. "Would you favor me with your name, or better yet, your company?"

"What manner of land do you hail from to speak so freely to strangers, sir knight?" Lyn asked, surprised and a little disgusted by this knight.

"You favor me with your voice, even! I hail from Lycia, from the Caelin canton, home to men of fire and passion."

Lyn scoffed, "Shouldn't that be 'home to callow oafs with loose tongues'?"

_BURN!_ smirked the Shisnos in their heads. No fire was involved in their thoughts however.

This earned her a hurt reaction from the knight as he said, "Ooooh… You're lovelier when you're cruel." Mark just rolled his eyes.

"I'm pretty sure he doesn't represent the 'men of fire and passion', even if he does hail from Lycia," Kat said with a stern tone as the AC stopped on the orange sector, between "Chaos" and "Good".

"Come on Lyn; let's leave this fool to pester someone else," Lyn and Kat nodded as they all entered the shop. They purchased a map of Elibe and few other maps focusing on certain areas. They purchased food and other supplies, as well a few odds and ends that might come in handy.  
While they shopped, Kat conversed wth Lyn.

"Remember that man earlier?" the younger girl asked. "He falls under 'Chaotic Good'. While he looks and asys a bit naughty, I know he means well."

"Still, I don't want to be around him."

"I understand."

At the end of the day, the three returned to the inn, Mark purchasing another night for the two rooms. Even after looking at the maps, they haven't decided yet on where to go next and considered making up their mind tomorrow.

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The next day, they headed towards the exit of the city, the Mani Katti's shrine being their next destination. However, blocking the road were two knights, the green armored one from yesterday and another one in red breastplate, a stern expression on his face. He seemed to look a bit younger than the other knight and had orange hair. And he appeared to be giving a lecture of some sort to the knight in green.

"—were more serious, I wouldn't have to be so severe!", he was saying. "We still have a mission to complete, Sain!"

The green knight, Sain, replied. "I know that. But how could I remain silent in the presence of such beauty? It would have been discourteous!"

"What do you know about courtesy!?"

Sain waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "It's not like we have a timetable to worry about. Relax, Kent. have some fun."

The other knight, presumably Kent, shook his head. "I was not under the impression that pestering every single female in the city and getting rejected each time was 'having fun'. Ever stop to wonder why you always get rejected? I swear, you're almost more trouble than you're worth. Almost."

At this point Lyn, Kat, and Mark got close enough to interrupt. As Kat used the AC on Kent, Lyn made a point of ignoring Sain, while Mark just rolled his eyes at the green knight.

"Excuse me, but could you move your horse?" Lyn asked Kent. "It's blocking the road."

The red knight looked at Lyn and nodded, "Of course, I apologize." Kent moved his horse out of the way, and then glared at Sain to do the same, which he did.

"Thank you. You, at least, seem honorable enough." Lyn smiled at him, a polite smile, nothing more. She glared at Sain, and Mark chuckled. Kent glared at Sain, understanding the unspoken message. The green knight rolled his eyes at the red one, used to such things. Meanwhile, Kat observed that the AC stopped on the yellow-green sector between "Good" and "Law".

_Hmm…Lawful Good._, thought Kat.

When Kent looked again at Lyn, he now had a somewhat confused look showed up on his face.  
"Hm? Pardon me, but, have I seen you before?" he asked.

"I beg your pardon?" Lyn look suspiciously at the red knight, not sure what to think. While she thought he was hitting on her, Mark thought Kent was remembering her from somewhere, be it as a childhood friend or something.

"Hey! No fair, Kent! I saw her first!" Sain complained, and Lyn glared at both of them before turning to Mark and Kat.

"Tsk! It seems there are no decent men among Lycia's knights! Let's go, Mark, Kat! I've run out of patience!" Lyn took her horse past the knights, and Kat and Mark followed suit, the latter palming his face.

Once they were gone, Kent said, "Sain, you lout!"

"Huh? Not like that? I thought you were..."

The red knight cut off his companion. "I am **not** you! Come, we must follow her! I suspect she might be—"

"Be what?" And then Sain seemed to realize what Kent was getting to. "**She's** our mission? You're joking! Wait!" He took off after his companion, who was already on the move.

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Erstwhile, as they exited the city, Mark said to Lyn, "I don't think that red armored knight meant anything dirty. He seemed genuinely confused, as if he was going through déjà vu."

"And even if they were, those two don't necessarily represent all of Lycia's knights," Kat added.

"That may be true, but I wasn't willing to spend anymore time around that green armored lout either," Lyn answered.

"You can say that again. So…which way is the Shrine?"

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About an hour later, Lyn happened to look back, and saw a pair of horsemen chasing them, about a quarter of a mile away, going much faster than Wanderer's trot. "What the—? Hop on! We're being pursued!"

Quickly, Mark and Kat got on Wanderer and they picked up speed. But not by much since having three passengers was very taxing on one horse.

"Could it be those knights from town?" Kat asked.

"No… it's not them!" Mark said as he looked back. "These men, they're out for blood!"

This chase followed for several minutes when suddenly, another horseman showed up in front of them, a thick battle axe held loosely in one hand. Wanderer stopped and the three almost fell off.

"Heh heh hehhh… Aren't you the pretty one?", the rider said. "Your name is Lyndis, is it not?"

Lyn almost fell off her horse in shock. "What did you call me? …Who are you?"

"Such a shame. An absolute waste. The things I do for gold. Ah, well. The name's Zugu, and it's time for you to die, darlin'." He raised his axe and swung it down with such surprising speed that Lyn barely managed to bring up her blade to counter it. A battle of strength followed, the stronger axe-fighter bringing his axe closer to Lyn by sheer brute force. This proved to be hazardous as Mark and Kat were still on the horse, trying to stay on, so they decided to dismount and prepare their weapons.

Zugu then decided to stop this shove-of-war and he got off his horse as well, as he wasn't trained for horseman combat. Lyn did likewise as they all entered battle stances, Wanderer running to a nearby tree. However, as Lyn and the bandit leader battled, Mark noted that their pursuers finally caught up. Although there were two at first, a few more eventually followed. They were all bandits like Zugu, and they got off their horses to battle on foot.

As Kat anticipated them, Mark turned back to see Lyn fighting a defensive battle against Zugu. She was holding her own, her superior speed allowing her to avoid being hit, but she wouldn't be able to take him on and the other three. Mark turned back to his sister and saw that she was in a position similar to casting a spell when the knights back from town appeared in the distance. The green knight was wielding a lance, while the red used a sword, the type ideal for horseback combat.

For some reason, the bandits scattered and while Kent immediately pursued one of them, Sain approached the tacticians and greeted them.

"Whew… Finally caught up…" Sain gave a sigh of relief. "Are you okay, you two?" he asked.

"As fine as can be," Mark dryly answered. Then he looked at his sister, who looked a little flustered. He spanked her at the back of her head, snapping her out of her trance.

The green knight turned to the bandits. "Hold! You there! What is your business? Such numbers against a girl? Cowards, every one of you!"

"You! You're from—" Lyn began.

"We can discuss that later. It appears these ruffians mean to do you harm." Kent said as he backed away from an attacking Brigand. "If it's a fight they want, let them look to me!"

"Stand back!" protested Sain as he readied his lance. "I'll take care of this!"

"No! This is **my** fight!" Lyn insisted as Zugu for some reason decided to retreat and regroup. "Stay out of my way!"

"Well, I can't just stand here and do nothing…"

"I have a solution," suggested Kent.

"What may that be?" Kat asked.

"Are you tacticians?"

"Umm…we are."

"Then command us. We will follow your orders in this battle." He turned to Lyn. "Is that acceptable, milady?"

"Yes, it is. We shall lead! Let's go!"

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"Switch to your sword!" Mark was ordering as Sain attempted to fight a Brigand with his lance.

"The lance is more heroic," Sain protested as he managed to dodge the Brigand's axe.

"Under my command, tactics prioritize over heroics! Now your sword!"

"All right, all right." Sain whacked the Brigand's head with the butt of his lance, and took the time to change weapons. By the time the Brigand was able to focus again, it was too late as the green Cavalier finished him off.

"Good!" Mark said. "You do know the Weapons Triangle principle, right?"

"Of course I do! Swords best axes, axes best lances, and lances best swords, right?"

"Yes. Use that knowledge in battle. If you don't, sooner or later, you're going to find yourself on the end of a blade, and it will cost you your life."

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Elsewhere…

A Brigand was trying to get to Kat, who was evading him by using a tree as cover. Whenever he tried moving one way, Kat moved the other. Even as he tried feigning moving one way, she merely called the bluff and stayed away from him. Eventually, Kent arrived, having dealt with another bandit, and finished off the one pursuing Kat with a sword strike to the back.

"Sorry for the delay, young lady," Kent apologized.

"It's okay." _Although I was hoping to incapacitate him to spare him death._

"Why are you in the field of battle?"

"Unlike most tacticians, we've been trained to join our troops in the field of battle so we can give out orders better and raise morale. Now, enough talk. You must assist Lyn. …Of course, I'll come as well to issue commands!"

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Lyn had managed to take down another bandit before finally finding Zugu, who had been resting up somewhere, already seeing his men fall to the Cavaliers. He was looking away from Lyn, who decided to sneak up on Zugu.

"Accursed knights, always tampering in others' affairs," the bandit leader said to himself.

Just before she could lunge her blade at his neck, Zugu just happened to move forward and around the tree. It was at this time he noticed Lyn.

"Finally!" Zugu exclaimed. "Now I can finish you off myself!"

"Not if I finish you off first!" responded Lyn as the two engaged in combat.

A short distance away, Sain was off his horse, resting by its side after receiving a wound from the last bandit he killed. Mark was beside him, pouring the liquid from a vulnerary on a piece of cloth and applying it on Sain's wound.

"You're such a cad, you know that?" Mark scolded. "You should tend to your well-being before continuing your 'quest for a fine lady'." He made an air quote with his free hand as he said this.

Sain merely nodded at this. A while later, Kent and Kat arrived. "Where's Lyn?" Mark's sister asked.

"She's over there, fighting the bandit leader," Kent answered for Mark, pointing his sword at a tree, where indeed the two were fighting.

"She's in trouble!" Sain gasped. "We must help!"

"Don't!" Kat countered. "We might distract her and put her into more danger than she already is in. And even if any of us were ranged combatants, we could run the risk of hurting her."

"She's right," Kent agreed. "She can take him on her own."

As Kent said that, back at the tree, Lyn and Zugu were still locked in combat, Lyn beginning to tire, the Brigand's strength playing a role again. Lyn was finding it harder and harder to block, but the Zugu's swings were slowing. Suddenly Lyn somersaulted over the axefighter and drove her blade through his back and out his stomach, spearing some organs in the process.

"Blast…There was only…supposed to be a lone…girl…" Zugu managed to utter before gurgling blood and falling to the ground, dying soon thereafter.

Lyn stood there after that, breathing heavily. "Lyn, are you okay?" Mark asked, genuinely worried, as he, his sister, and the two Cavaliers rushed to her aid.

Lyn looked up and smiled appreciatively. "I'm fine. Where did the rest of them go?"

"We dealt with them, so there's no need to worry, my fair lady," Sain answered.

"Sorry to not have introduced ourselves," Kent apologized.

"There's no need," Mark said. "We heard your names while you conversed with each other back at Bulgar." He turned to both of the knights. "The knight in red is Kent and the one in green is Sain, am I right?" Both knights nodded. "Now, please tell us what is it about Lyn that interests you?"

"Yes. We have ventured from Caelin, in Lycia, in search of someone."

"Lycia… That's the country beyond the mountains in the southwest, isn't it?" Lyn asked.

"Correct. We've come as messengers to the Lady Madelyn, only daughter of our lord the marquess of Caelin Lord Hausen, who eloped with a nomad some 19 years ago."

"Madelyn?" parroted Kat.

"I believe he was from the Lorca tribe in Sacae and was named Hassar." Lyn's expression changed to shock. "Lord Hausen never approved of his daughter's choice of men. I don't mean to offend you when I say this, but he did not believe a Sacaean nomad to be a suitable husband for his heiress and exiled her, through empathy if not by official writ. Eventually, he simply declared he had no daughter."

"Then, a few months ago, he received a letter from Lady Madelyn," Sain continued. "It said that she was living happily on the plains with her husband and their daughter Lyndis. Lord Hausen was overjoyed that they had written at all and was happier that his granddaughter's name was that of his wife, who passed away at an early age."

"Lyndis?" parroted Mark.

"That she should bear this name thawed the marquess's heart. Now, his only wish is to meet his daughter's family at least once. That was four months ago, and that is why we're here…only on arriving two days ago in Bulgar did we know that Lady Madelyn died a few days after sending her letter…"

"But we also learned all was not lost. Her daughter yet lives. We heard that she was living alone on the plains… I… I knew it immediately. You are the lady Lyndis." Kent leaned forward earnestly.

"Why would you think that…?" Lyn asked in a confused state. Meanwhile, Mark and Kat were both shocked that their traveling companion was actually of royal blood, even if only at least half.

"Your resemblance to your departed mother is remarkable."

"What? Did you know my mother?"

"I'm sorry to say that I never met her directly, but I saw her portraits in Castle Caelin."

"I… to the rest of my tribe, I was always Lyn, but with my parents with just the three of us, I was Lyndis… but I… I had no idea…It's all so strange. I was alone in the world and now I have a grandfather who is a noble in Lycia…" she trailed off, thoughtfully. "Lyndis… I never thought I would hear that name again."

"…Wait a second!" Mark suddenly spoke as he realized something. "That bandit leader Zugu called you Lyndis! How would he have known?" Kent and Sain looked at the tactician, slightly stunned.

"What? How could he have—" Kent said.

"He must have been a henchman of Lord Lundgren," Sain muttered darkly after a moment. "Of all the… he must have learned, too. But if he's trying to kill you—"

"Stop," Lyn interrupted. "Who is Lundgren, and why would he want me dead?"

"Lord Lundgren is Lord Hausen's younger brother," Kent explained. "When Madelyn disappeared, the position of heir defaulted to him… it looks like he might be trying to keep it that way."

"To be blunt, milady, your existence is an obstacle to your granduncle's ambitions," Sain added.

Lyn was shocked, to say the least. "That's— But I have no interest in any title!"

The green Cavalier shrugged. " Unfortunately, your granduncle is not the sort of man to believe that. I believe the attempts on your life will persist."

"So that means…" Kat began to say.

"Lord Lundgren must be stopped if Lyn wishes to continue on living," Mark finished.

"What should I do?" Lyn asked.

"Accompany us to Caelin," Kent advised. "Continuing on this way is dangerous."

"I feel I have little choice." She turned to the two tacticians-in-training. Mark, Kat... I'm sorry. This changes everything. What do you want me to do?"

"I believe it's up to you, Lyn," Mark said.

"You... want me to decide? Of course, your companionship would do much to ease my journey, but... It's going to be so dangerous."

"What's a little danger? If anything, this is a perfect opportunity to hone our skills."

"We're with you all the way, Lyn!" supported Kat.

"You'll come? Are you sure? Thank you! Let me ask once again for your friendship and your aid." Lyn then faced the knights. "I'll come with you to Caelin. I wish to meet my grandfather. And you're right, Mark; it doesn't sound as though Lundgren will stop unless he is forced to."

"We're all in this together!" Kat stated.

"Right!" Mark agreed.

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**O Sain Vermillion**  
A knight in service to house Caelin. He is a bit of a scoundrel and always tries to woo any lady in sight.

**O Kent Chartreuse**  
A knight in service to house Caelin. He is virtuous to a fault. His no-nonsense attitude is what keeps Sain in line.

**X Zugu**  
The leader of a group of bandits sent by Lord Lundgren to kill Lyndis. He fortunately failed in his mission thanks to the timely arrival of Sain and Kent.

(A/N: If you notice the hidden pun on the two knights' last names, then good for you. If not, I'll explain in the next chapter.)


	3. Chapter 2: Sword of Spirits

(A/N: The last names I devised for the two Cavaliers are based off of the Cain and Abel archetype in the series. I thought I'd make their names a touch ironic from their armor colors.)

_A small altar lies on the outskirts of Bulgar. This ancient temple, sacred to the people of Sacae, has long been known for its powerful bond to the world of spirits. Before starting their journey, our travelers come here to pray for their well-being. At this altar, Lyn's hand is directed to a grand inheritance._

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**Chapter 2: Sword of Spirits**

It had been three days since Lyn's life had changed. Three days since Mark and Kat found themselves in a great adventure with her. Three days since the knights of Caelin had joined their group. Now they sat on their horses, overlooking the Shrine of the Mani Katti, which has reached their sights. To make it easier for Wanderer, Kat rode pillion with Kent, much to Sain's (brief) disappointment.

"Here we are. This is the Shrine of Spirits," Lyn announced. "It is customary for the people of Sacae to pray here for safety at the onset of a long journey."

"Oh, how quaint!" remarked Sain, showing interest.

"The teachings of Elimine have the most followers in Elibe," said Kent. "It is nice to see that, here at least, the ancient customs are still observed."

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Inside the shrine…

A group of bandits, led by a Mercenary, had stormed the place, and were confronting the shrine's priest, who was at an altar, where a sheathed sword was placed.

"Old Man! Stay where you are, and hold your tongue!" said the leader.

The priest stood his ground. "Threaten me as you will, but I'll not give up the Mani Katti. The Mani Katti is a sacred blade, under divine protection. It cannot be removed from its place of rest!"

"You're a fool, old man. What good's a sword if you don't use it?" The Mercenary slowly approached the altar.

"Use it? In combat? Sacrilege!" he yelled in a loud and wheezy voice.

"Sacrilege? I am Glass! The gods fear my name! My swordplay is peerless! And if I want this sword, this sword I shall have!" Finally up close with the priest, he grabbed him by the robes. "Now, get out of my way!" He then shoved him to the side.

"Oof!" The priest fell to the floor as Glass picked up the sword from where it rested.

"This is it! It's more magnificent than I'd imagined! This sword was made for a swordsman of my skill." He proceeded to unsheathe the sword…to no avail. "Hmm? What's this? I can't… draw the sword… from its scabbard?"

"The spirits of the blade have judged you," the priest said as he got up and dusted himself off. "You have been found waiting. They have rejected you."

"What? Listen, you senile old fool, if you value your own life, you'll get out of my sight!" Glass charged towards the priest, who escaped through a nearby door. The Mercenary decided not to follow him. "Curses! Miserable spirits! I care nothing for you! I'll tear this altar down stone by stone!"

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Meanwhile…

Lyn and company reached a small village that had grown up around the Shrine due to its distance from Bulgar. The shrine itself wasn't really impressive; clay walls and a roof with holes cut into the walls to serve as windows. The building itself looked centuries old, and some of the walls seemed to be in bad condition.

Their horses were going at a slow trot; even with Lundgren out for Lyn's life, there was no rush in getting to Caelin. As they drew closer to the shrine however, a middle aged woman approached them.

"I beg your pardon, milady. Are you headed east? To the altar?" she asked.

"Yes, we are indeed," answered Lyn.

"Then you must hurry and help the priest there. I saw a band of local ruffians head in there not too long ago. They seemed intent on stealing the altar's sacred sword!"

"The Mani Katti… They're going to steal it? I cannot allow this to happen!"

"You look like a virtuous group. Please, help him!"

"Lyndis, what are you planning?" Sain asked her.

"If you go to the priest's aid, you'll need to prepare," advised Kent.

"You're right... Say, Mark… There are some homes to the south of us. Perhaps we should go there and question the residents."

"I think that would be for the best," agreed the older Tactician. "Maybe they could give us a few tips."

"We'll handle this, ma'am," the younger Tactician assured the villager who came to them. "Head somewhere safe. More of them might show up."

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The visits were supplementary enough. One of the villagers told them that the bandits have the main entrance guarded. However, one of the altar's walls was cracked and in poor repair. Given enough force, they can possibly storm in that way. Kat was now examining the cracked wall, checking its integrity. The rest stood a fair distance away, checking their weapons.

"As a Tactician," Mark explained. "terrain is a very important factor in battles. Kat's checking the wall to see if it can indeed be broken. She also knows a bit of magic, although she's not as experienced as your typical Mage out there. She's also particularly shy about using it."

Kat soon returned to them and said, "The wall's brittle enough for a running charge from horseback to break through."

Sain instantly volunteered for this 'heroic act'. "Allow me, fair lady!"

"Sure. Out of all of us, you're the strongest. Too bad we don't have any axe-users to break through this easily."

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The sight of a Cavalier smashing through the (admittedly brittle) wall was surprising enough for the bandits to stand and balk at it. This bought Sain enough time to impale one of them with his lance, for Kent to take down another that the lance-wielder had missed, and for Kat to knock out a third whose throat would've been sliced by Lyn.

They all stopped at the center of the shrine, Mark twirling his staff and entering a stance, which involved his staff behind him and one outstretched hand in front. "Stop right there, criminal scum! How dare you threaten the Mani Katti!"

"What's he doing?" Lyn asked Kat as she was poised to attack as well.

"I think he always wanted to pull this off. Better ask him later."

At this point, Glass had thrown the sheathed sword to the stone floor and was brandishing his own, a broadsword granting greater leverage and more damage in a fight. "Who do you think you are? What chance do you think you have against me?" demanded the Mercenary.

"My name is Mark!" declared the older tactician, "And judging by my troops, I'd say our victory is guaranteed. It's just a matter of whether or not I can make you take none of us with you."

"You think you can beat me? I am Glass! The gods fear my name! My swordplay is peerless!"

"I think you're just as tough as your name suggests."

The Mercenary seemed to get Mark's hidden insult and it infuriated him. "Why, you!" He then charged straight for the five, just as he intended to.

"Sain!" Mark ordered as he pulled back. The lance wielder was all too ready and charged forward. Glass's rage and arrogance led him right into the spear, which impaled him straight through the gut and forced him to drop his sword.

"You… you… Urr… urgh…" And with that, he fell limp and so did his sword. For some reason, Mark did not count on this.

"Ugh. And I was hoping he'd swerve out of the way."

"Why do you say that?" asked Lyn as Sain let the body slide out of his weapon.

"Sure, he may have tried to steal a holy relic, but he could've been taught the errors of his ways, maybe even arrested so we can get some gold out of this."

"Those who would use and/or throw away the lives of other people for power, **they** have no respect for the sanctity of life," added Kat. "Their deaths we are okay with and will even condone. Still, we'd feel better if neither Mark nor I deliver a killing blow."

After ascertaining that no more bandits were going to storm the shrine (it turns out they fled after Glass's death), the two knights got off their horses and led them to the entrances to stand guard, leaving Lyn and the two tacticians.

Just then, an old man came out through the door into the back of the shrine. From the staff of healing and minor tome of light magic he was holding, he was probably the priest of this place. He looked around and saw the bodies, and nearly dropped the tome and staff. He saw the Mani Katti on the ground and ran—quite quickly for one his age—over to it. He bent down and picked up the still sheathed weapon reverently, and then returned it to its rightful place on the altar.

He then faced the group who had removed the bandit threat, his eyes on Lyn. "Ah, your clothing… Are you of the Lorca tribe?" he asked her.

"I'm Lyn, the chieftain's daughter. Are you hurt, sir?"

The priest shook his head. "Thanks to you, I am unscathed. You have my gratitude."

"And the sword? Is it safe?"

"Yes, I have sealed the sword safely away. Until I remove my spell, the sword cannot be drawn." He turned to where the Mani Katti lay, put his hands on it, uttering a few words, then picked it up and turned to face Lyn again. "Now, as a token of my gratitude, I shall allow you to lay hands upon the Mani Katti." He walked over to the "Touch the blade's pattern, and pray for a safe journey."

"Oh, thank you so much!" said Lyn as she reverently received it.

The hilt was of the purest silver, a small diamond inset in the pommel. The patterns on the scabbard were intricately designed. As Lyn closed her hands around the scabbard, light began to emanate from the hilt and the blade within.

"Hm?" The priest.

"What? Did—" Lyn.

The light glowed blindingly for a moment, startling them as it subsided to a gentle wrapping around the entire weapon. the light had also caught the attention of the Caelin knights from outside and they turned their heads to see what was happening. Sain had the better view since he had been guarding the entrance he 'made' just minutes ago. Kent was farther away, but saw it just as clearly thanks to his position at the main entrance.

"The sword… It's… glowing," gasped Lyn.

_Way to point out the obvious, _thought Kat.

"Ah. Hm… It's the power of the spirits. Lyn, they have looked into your soul, and they call out to you."

"What does that mean?"

"You are its rightful owner. You are to wield the Mani Katti."

The Sacaean was at a loss for words. "But… no… I'm just ordinary… I can't… I couldn't…"

"It is the sword's wish. If you require proof, draw it from its sheath." The pirest then tok a step back.

"Um… ..." Mark and Kat followed suit as Lyn put her hand on the hilt and drew the sword forth. "It came out… effortlessly."

"I never dared hope that I might meet the wielder of the Mani Katti in my life. I am indeed fortunate to see your sword reach your hands."

"My sword? But— How— Why—" Lyn asked incredulously. "I can't! This is the Mani Katti!"

"It is the sword's wish. It is the will of the spirits. Now go, Lyn, You face a great many ordeals. You have a great destiny ahead of you, and will need the power of the Mani Katti many times before the end. Grip this sword, and meet your destiny head-on."

Lyn was still stunned by recent events, but she nodded and stammered, "Yes… Yes, sir!"

"Um, I'd hate to ruin the moment, but I don't think these dead bodies make for good decorations in this holy place, if you get what I'm saying." Kat indicated the bandits they had slain.

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A while later, after the bodies of Glass and his band have been properly…taken care of (and the surviving one successfully detained), the group were now resting at the village's inn, their horses being treated well. They have ordered two rooms, the males sharing one, and the females the other. Right now, they were at the room Lyn and Kat were to sleep in for the night.

"So this is the Mani Katti…" Sain commented as Lyn examined the blade for perhaps the forth time since acquiring it. "A blade with no equal."

"That could go both ways," snarked Mark. _There are better swords out there._

"This is all so unbelievable. Perhaps the most famous sword in all of Sacae… in my hand," Lyn said.

"It's not so strange," replied Keny. "In fact, many legends tell similar tales… Special blades all over the land call out to their proper owners."

_And beyond,_ Kat added in her mind.

"And yet, when I saw you draw that blade, Lyndis… I felt something extraordinary. That sword was waiting for you. You were meant to draw it."

Lyn blushed a bit at the compliment. "Stop it! I… I'm nothing special!"

Sain laughed a bit before speaking up. "Think of it this way: Some weapons feel more comfortable in your hand, right? Well, the Mani Katti itself feels very comfortable with you. Does it make it any easier for you to accept? It doesn't appear that either of us can use it."

At separate points, everybody else had tried their hand at the sword, but the Mani Katti's hilt began to heat up in their hands such that they couldn't hold it for long. As for why the late Glass's hands didn't burn when he had tried to take it, the spell the priest put on it to protect it from being unsheathed also protected his hands from the burning; one could still use the Mani Katti as a blade if they could withstand its defensive system, it's just that only Lyn can use it like anyone else can use an ordinary sword.

" It… does feel right in my hand. A blade that only I can wield. That seems reasonable enough. I can understand that." She turned to the tacticians. "Look at it, Mark, Kat. This is the Mani Katti. This is… my sword. I must care for it well."

"That you should," replied Mark. "Well, we should get some sleep. We still have a long way to go."

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Far away, in Castle Caelin…

"What? Madelyn's daughter is still alive?"

"Uh...Yes, Lord Lundgren. The girl is traveling with Kent and Sain. There seem to be two tacticians as well, but we have yet to figure out their names. What are your orders? If we let them be—"

Lundgren interrupted the soldier. "Bah! I've heard that northern Bern is full of bandits. She's just a mere girl. She'll not survive her journey here. I'm more concerned with my older brother. His life must be ended quickly. The poison...There must be no blunders."

The soldier dutifully answered, "Yes, m'lord. He suspects nothing and continues to drink it. The marquess's death, no doubt to 'sudden illness', is not far off."

Lundgren laughed at this news. "Heh heh heh. Soon... Soon, Caelin will be mine!"

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**X Glass**  
The leader of a group of bandits that stormed the Shrine of the Mani Katti. He attempted to take the sword for his own, but we put a stop to those plans.


	4. Chapter 3: Band of Mercenaries

_The secrets of her past revealed in the words of two Knights of Lycia. Now, to meet her grandfather, Lyn heads west, to Lycia, and to her destiny. A mountain range separates the Sacae Plains from Bern. There are many bandits lurking here, the cruelest of which are the Taliver. They wreak havoc on both Sacae and Bern, and their savagery knows no bounds. On her tenth day away from the plains, Lyn witnesses their atrocities herself._

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**Chapter 3: Band of Mercenaries**

Mark was jolted awake when Wanderer stumbled over a piece of rubble. It's been ten days since they met Lyn in the plains of Sacae. He looked up and saw dozens of smashed houses, shops and other buildings. He looked further and saw ruins as far as the eye could see. Well, there were signs of two villages (more like small clusters of less than five houses), and they looked like they should be fortified. Kat gasped at the sight.

"This place…" she began. "It's…"

"The entire area is in ruins," said Sain, frowning. "Odd. Why doesn't their marquess do anything to help?"

"Taliver Mountain is home to a gang of vicious, ruthless bandits," explained Lyn. "No marquess holds power here. My village was near here, on the other side of the mountain. My people were… The Taliver bandits came at night. It took only one night. The survivors numbered less than ten, including me. They're soulless beasts. I will never forgive them. Never."

Sain looked at her with sympathy. "Lyndis…"

"…" Kent was speechless.

"I am not running away. I will be back…someday," Lyn declared. "I'll be stronger…I will break their swords beneath me like twigs beneath a stallion's hooves. I will avenge my people. I'll do everything in my power."

"When the time comes, bring me with you."

"Sain."

"Don't forget me, either."

"Kent…"

"Should fate allow it, count us in."

"Yeah."

"Oh! You, too, Kat, Mark? I… You're…Thank you."

"Hey, what're friends for?" replied Mark.

Suddenly, as Kat looked up, she saw a white winged shape in the distance, flying at an angle perpendicular to their path. "Is that what I think it is?"

"If you're thinking of a pegasus, I believe yes. I wonder…" Lyn's voice trailed off.

"Is it possible Lundgren hired one as a spy? From what I remember, Ilia's main income is mercenary work, and pegasi are only found in that frigid wasteland." She noticed Lyn looked slightly offended.

"I don't think so," Kent disagreed. "Caelin isn't rich enough for Lundgren to have hired such a pricey mercenary without the money being missed."

"We only have your word for that, however," Mark said. "Not that you sound like the sort who would lie or be intentionally wrongly informed."

Before the red knight could reply, they turned past a mostly intact house and saw a small frightened girl with orchid-colored hair standing between a pegasus and two rough men with axes on their belts. They appeared to be trying to intimidate the girl, and from the looks of things they were doing quite well. Luckily, the group was behind who is apparently a Pegasus Knight.

"What's this? Be on your guard, Lyndis," warned Kent. "There seems to be some sort of commotion over there."

"That's… Could it be? Florina?" Lyn shouted, her voice incredulous. "Is that you?"

The girl turned around, looked up at Lyn, and let out a small gasp. "Ah! Lyn?"

"Florina! What are you doing in a place such as this?" Lyn spurred Wanderer closer to the situation and the others followed right behind.

"Lyn! Is it really you? I…I…" She ran over to Lyn, bursting into tears, her mount following.

The swordswoman wiped them away. "Come now, no crying!"

"I'm sorry."

"You are acquaintances?" asked Kent.

"She's my friend. This is Florina, a pegasus knight in training from Ilia. She's a little uncomfortable around men. Tell me, Florina, what happened here?"

"Well…um…When I heard that you had left…I decided to follow you. Then I saw this village… I flew down to ask if they had news of you. I didn't see these two, and…well…"

"Did your pegasus land on them?" guessed Mark.

"Well, I… A little…"

One of the bandits spoke up, clearly indignant at being ignored, spoke up, "Aha! You heard her! She admits her fault! She stepped on my friend, and now she's got to pay!"

"Did you apologize, Florina?" Lyn asked.

"Yes. I told them I was sorry many times over. They just wouldn't listen…"

"Don't cry. It's all right."

"Lyn…"

Lyn turned to face the bandits. "Listen, she's obviously sorry. Can't we just let this pass? You don't appear to be injured or anything."

The other bandit, who seemed to be the leader, spoke. "No chance. The girl goes with us-by force if need be!" He then made as if to shout. "Hey! C'mon out now, boys! The men are fair game, but don't put a scratch on the girls!" With that, the two brigands bolted into the ruins, the rubble making pursuit by horse impossible. As they fled, other bandits leapt out of the rubble, armed with axes, swords, or arrows.

"We've got to fight back!" said Lyn as she dismounted from Wanderer and unsheathed the Mani Katti.

"No, really?" snarked Mark as he did likewise and quickly assembled his staff. His sister got off of Kent as well and drew her dark judge brushes.

"Lyn… I…" Florina began.

"You're a pegasus knight, aren't you? You can fight, can't you?"

"…Yes!"

Lyn then turned to the two ttacticians. "Listen carefully, Mark, Kat. We're facing bandits. They're underlings, but we can't take them too lightly. Let's clear them out of here. Are you ready?" Mark and Kat gave a nod.

"We'll make sure we all get out of this alive," Kat declared. "It would be very unbecoming for tacticians in training to suffer a loss this soon in our career."

"The layout around here might make it difficult to fight. The same holds true for our foe, too. If we use these walls just so, they may ensure our victory."

In spite of the situation, Mark couldn't help but give a little chuckle. "Guess I'm not the only one learning here. Ten days ago, I wouldn't think you'd be giving orders."

"Lyn…Who're they?" Florina asked, her face red as the pointed at the siblings.

Lyn gave a smile as she turned her head to them, introduciing the older one first. "This is Mark. He's still an apprentice, but he's my tactician."

The Pegasus Knight's face went redder. "Oh, I see…Uh…Mark I'm pleased to meet you."

Lyn then indicated Mark's sister. "And this is Kat. She's also an apprentice tactician."

Florina's face noticeably returned to normal coloration upon turning to address the green-clad girl. "Oh, I see…Well, Kat…I'm pleased to meet you."

"Huh. Does she have the hots for my brother or what?" She turned to Lyn, and saw that she and the two knights seemed to be confused. "I mean, she **was **blushing as she looked at him. What else should I have assumed?"

"Florina's timid around men," the swordswoman explained.

"Oh, I see." Her face then turned serious. "Someone needs to alert the nearby villages." She turned to face Lyn. "Could you…"

Lyn nodded and took off to the nearest one. Mark turned to his sister. "You read my mind."

"Learned from the best."

"I'm far from the best, but I plan to be." He turned serious and started giving orders.. "All right. Sain, Kent, with me. Lances against the sword wielders, Swords for the axe-wielders. Kat, ride with Florina and direct her to the other village."

The two young girls hopped on Huey, Florina's pegasus, and took off.

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"Is anyone there?" Lyn called as she reached the village.

"Leave us alone, you thugs!" a voice came from one of the houses.

"Go away! Go away!" came another in the same house. "We've no more gold for you!"

"No, wait! Please! We're not bandits!" Lyn replied. "We want to help the village. Please listen!"

"Remain inside, everyone," a third voice came. "I'll go see what's happening." From one of the houses came a young man with light brown hair and brown eyes. By his appearance, he seemed to be an archer. He had a quiver on his back and his bow to his side. He approached Lyn and looked her over. "Not bandits, huh? So, who are you?"

"My name is Lyn. My colleagues and I are just traveling through here… We saw some bandits about. We're going to deal with them, but… we need you to go and warn the villagers."

She was about to turn and leave when the archer called back. "Hey! Wait!" She stopped and turned around. "The name's Wil. I'm a traveler of sorts, too. Listen, these villagers have been kind to me. Mind if I fight with you?"

"Not at all. We need all the help we can get! Welcome aboard, Wil!"

And with that, the two entered the fray.

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Mark was blocking a Mercenary's broadsword attack with his staff, which (the staff) was much tougher than its appearance would suggest. Sain and Kent were off handling other bandits, so he had been forced to confront this one. He delivered a kick to the groin, which made the bandit double over, and then he twirled his staff so that it would smack the bandit at the back of his head, knocking him out cold.

He was at work on tying the bandit's hands to his back when Lyn came over, someone else accompanying her.

"So, you are the tactician?" said the newcomer as he helped him up.

"That would be me. Name's Mark."

"I am Wil, master marksman."

"Pleasure to meet you."

"No, the pleasure is mine! It looks like there are bandits on the other side of that wall. To the east is another archer. So let's go for that thug to the north. He's all mine! Say the word, Mark!"

"Very well."

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After offing a sword-wielding bandit, Kat had Florina head to the other village. Once there, one of the villagers came out and approached them.

"You came to help the village?"

"I believe that would be the case," said Kat, putting an air of experience that would help make herself look older; a girl of eleven didn't look like the sort who should be out in the battlefield. Florina looked at least three or four years older than her, and actually was.

"That's good. With so many bandits, I wasn't sure what to do." He approached the two young girls. "It's not much, but please, take this money." When she would later inspect it, it would reveal the equivalent of 2000 gold pieces. "There is an armory to the southeast of us. Equip yourself as you see fit, and help us, please."

"We will." And Huey was soon in the air again.

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Seconds later, they landed as soon as Lyn hailed them. However, Florina noticed something.

"Lyn! What should I do? There's an archer!" She pointed at a person making small talk with Mark.

"What? Where!?" She then turned to see where her friend was pointing. "Oh, that's Wil."

The older tactician noticed them and instructed the new Archer to head over and meet them.

"Hi! You're one of Lyn's friends?" Wil greeted as he ran over to them.

Florina reeled Huey back right after Kat got off. "Um…"

"What… What is it? Are you unwell?"

"I'm sorry, Wil. Her name is Florina," Lyn introduced. "She's timid around men, and you…you've got a bow."

He looked at his weapon, then realized the justification of her fear. "Oh! I see! You must be a pegasus knight! I apologize for frightening you, but I do understand your fear of bows."

"I…um…I'm sorry…" said the (second-)youngest girl of the band. "Even looking…at a…bow…frightens me ever so much…"

"Of course, I understand. But you should really only fear the enemy's archers, not your own."

"Yes…of course…"

The green-clad girl walked over to the archer. "Hey there, Wil, was it? My name's Kat. I assume you met my brother Mark."

"Oh, hello, Kat." Wil then paused as he looked her over. "You look…"

"A bit young? You're the first to bring it up." During this, Florina and Lyn were directed by Mark elsewhere. "And yes, I **am** a bit young. I think Florina is actually older than I am, but I'm mature enough to undertsand death, so you don't have to worry about my 'innocence'."

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In a few more minutes, the bandits were wiped out (some incapacitated by Kat or Mark) and Lyn was facing the leader, whose name was Migal. Her stance was strangely relaxed, but Mark, who stood right next to her, was in a defensive position.

"Hey, listen! There's something I wanted to ask you," she said.

"Begging for your life so soon, wench?" Migal sneered.

"Are you... Taliver bandits?"

"Taliver?" He seemed to take offense to that name. "Those greedy monsters? We're nothing like them! Those fiends will even kill women and children! We're from Ganelon, and we know a little something of honor. We don't harm women, for one thing." He gave a dark chuckle. "After all, why kill what you can sell?"

"Nice to see you're pragmatic enough," snarked Mark.

"If you're not Taliver, then there's no reason for you to die here today." Lyn entered a stance. "If you would like to tuck your tails and flee, do so now," she advised.

"Best do what she says. All of your men have been taken care of by this little band we lead. And I assure you that if you keep crossing our path…" He twirled his staff again and entered an offensive stance. "…I can't guarantee that there'll **be** any more Ganelon bandits to speak of."

Migal was insulted at the fact that he was given the chance to flee like a coward. "You... You... No more courtesies! You're going to learn to watch your tongue!" And with that, he charged with his axe held high.

Mark answered to this by spinning his staff in front of himself, advising Lyn to stand by. As Migal brought down his axe, the tactician turned his spin at an angle so that his staff disarmed the Brigand as it came down on his wrist. As soon as the axe was dropped, he yelled. "Lyn! Now!"

And like an arrow whistling through the air, she flew forward, the Mani Katti aimed for Migal's gut, but the bandit leader—in spite of the pain in his wrist from the forcful disarm—managed to barely evade the thrust, although the Mani Katti was able to make a scratch.

And then Mark decided to play his trump card for this fight as he knocked the bandit's head with his staff. An honourable fighter would call this foul play, but as this wasn't a fight of honor… "Wil! Plan B!" From his vantage point at a roof Migal was looking away from, Wil drew an arrow and aimed. By the time the bandit recovered enough, the arrow was let loose and it found its way into Migal's midsection. Lyn guaranteed the kill with a stab to the heart.

"Ugh…You'll live to regret this… My brothers…The Ganelon bandits will not let this stand…" These were Migal's last words as he died.

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Later…

Everybody was gathered in one place near one of the villages. In spite of taking out her fair share of bandits earlier, Florina was shaking in fright from her experience.

Seeing her friend in such a state, Lyn approached her. "That's finally taken care of," she said.

"Lyn!"

"Florina… Why did you follow me? It's so dangerous."

The little girl just lowered her head to the ground. "Do you remember the knighting ceremony of the Pegasus Knights of Ilia?"

"Yes, you join a band of freelance soldiers to further your training. Is that what brought you here, Florina?"

"Uh-huh. I wanted to talk to you before I set out. But when I went to Sacae, I heard that you had left with some strangers, and…"

"You were worried for me?" Lyn finished. The mercenary-in-training nodded. "Thank you, but I'm more worried about you."

"Me?"

"Listen, most mercenaries are men, right? Bands of men? I can't imagine you being at all comfortable around them."

"I know, I know. It's just… I've always dreamt of being a pegasus knight. I imagined I would just…work it out. Somehow." Her face went glum. "After today, I'm not so sure. Maybe I should just…give up…" And she began to sob.

"Florina…Don't cry…" Lyn assured her as she embraced the Pegasus Knight.

"Yes! There's no reason to give up your dream!" agreed Sain as he approached them.

"Hm?" The two girls faced him.

"Oh dear," groaned Mark.

"Lovely Florina! I have the most brilliant idea!"

"Sain!" Kent admonished his companion.

"You should come with us! With the addition of Wil here, we're a fine group of soldiers, and freelance to boot!"

Wil was surprised at what was said. "Wait, did you just include me?"

The green Cavalier turned to face the Archer. "Of course! We were destined to meet here! It's fate! Come now, Lyndis's band of mercenaries is as good a training group as you will find anywhere!"

"Sain…This is no joking matter!" Kent continued.

Confused with Sain's offer, and a bit intimidated with his approach, Florina turned to face Lyn once more. "Lyndis? Um, Lyn? Mercenaries?'

"I can give you details later. This is all a bit rushed," Lyn replied. "However, Sain is right. Will you come with us, Florina?"

"Travel with you, Lyn? Truly?" Florina seemed to love the prospect. "I would be so…so happy!"

"Fantastic! Beauteous Florina! I am a knight of Caelin." The fellow lance wielder approahced the Pegasus Knight and made to take her hand as if to kiss it. "My name is Sain…"

Florina understandably reeled back, pulling away. "Eeek! Stay back! Don't get so close."

"Ah… Beautiful, and yet so modest!"

"I beg your forgiveness," Kent apologized as he put a hand to his face. "Calling us mercenaries…"

"No, I approve," Lyn said. "We can't leave Florina on her own. She requires special attention, though. Can I count on you?"

Kent gave a smile in response as he put his hand down. "Yes! You have but to ask."

"So…" Wil put in. "Is it really all right if I travel with you?"

"Oh, yes. Of course! If you're willing, Wil."

Kat chuckled from the pun, and the others turned to look at her as if she gained a second head. "What?"

Wil ignored it and turned back to Lyn. "Actually, I'm very grateful. Truth be told, all of my money was stolen, and I'm…at a bit of a crossroads. I would be honored to count myself one of Lyndis's Legion!"

"'Lyndis's Legion'? This is getting stranger with every day," said the leader of the group that was now named after her.

"You're telling me," agreed Mark. "Still, all the better. As tacticians, we need to learn the effectiveness of various units, and having these two is a godsend. To be honest, it was a bit worrying to just have you and two Cavaliers for the entire journey. Not that there's anything wrong with that."

"I just have a feeling we're gonna find more and more recruits soon," said Kat. "And not in the conventional way."

FERnKBB—FERnKBB—FERnKBB—FERnKBB

**O Florina Skylark **  
A friend of Lyn's who is.a pegasus knight earning her title. She's very timid around men. She's also the second youngest in the group, the first being me (Kat).

**O Wil Durness**  
A very social youth from Pherae, in the Lycian League. He's our group's first archer, and the one to name it Lyndis's Legion.

**X Migal**  
Leader of the Ganelon Bandits, who raided the nearby villages at Taliver mountain. Unlike the Taliver Bandits, who pillage and kill all without mercy, the Ganelon Bandits prefer to hold women for ransom.


	5. Chapter 4: In Occupation's Shadow

_After defeating the bandits, Lyn continues westward. She and her colleagues stop for the night at a ruined fortress. The Ganelon bandits are in a rage after their brethren fell to Lyn's swords. They race in pursuit of the companions. Their angry footsteps sound closer and closer…_

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**Chapter 4: In Occupation's Shadow**

The party of seven, which had been named Lyndis's Legion, pulled at a fortress that appeared to be damaged, even lacking a roof. Mark dismounted off of Wanderer and looked up at it (his sister was currently riding on Huey, Florina's steed). The sun was beginning to set, casting the surroundings in an orange haze. Ignoring the wind, Mark pushed his hair out of his face and began to look around. Kat instructed the pegasus knight she was riding pillion with to scout the area.

Wil gave a smile as the rest drew closer. "Ah, this should suffice! Tonight's bed!"

Sain looked a bit upset. "This mildewy old fortress? Is this the best we can do? Come, Wil! Surely you jest!"

"The bandits keep everything in turmoil around here," the archer explained. "No one has time to worry about travelers."

"And I don't think the villages can risk hosting us for the night, what with the Ganleon chasing us," added Mark.

"And there are rather a lot of us."

"This will be fine," Lyn said as she undid her ponytail, letting her hair flow freely in the breeze. "Who wants to be stuck inside, anyway? I prefer a place where I can feel the wind blow."

Around this time, Florina was finished scouting and had overheard the others. As she landed Huey, she said, "As long as I'm at Lyn's side, I'll be fine."

"And for your protection, your man-at-arms Sain will be right here by your side, ladies," the green Cavalier offered.

"Sain, both you and I are to remain awake," Kent sternly told him. "We will alternate the watch."

"Ah, alas…"

With that, the Legion entered the fortress, setting up camp at a large hall inside. Thankfully, tents, blankets, and food have been acquired at the villages in the ruins where they had confronted Migal. Spare weapons were also purchased in case anything got broken and Mark even picked up some of the dropped weapons from the last fight (and a few salvaged from the fights before) to sell cheap for gold.

Just as a fire was started, a voice came from the shadows.

"Your pardon, milady…"

This caught everybody's attention. "Who's there?" Lyn called.

A brown haired woman, about 25 years old, wearing blue peasant clothes, stepped hesitantly out of the darkness. "I…Forgive my intrusion…My name's Natalie. I'm from a village not far from here…" Her left leg gave was and she fell to the ground."Ah! Ow…"

"Are you all right?" asked the swordswoman as she and Mark helped her up.

"Hm?"

"Your leg…" It was slightly twisted, and discolored too.

Natalie just gave a sincere smile. "It's fine. Don't worry. It's from a childhood sickness…I can't travel far on it, but it doesn't trouble me much."

"What are you doing here all by yourself?"

"I'm looking for my husband…I heard he was in this area. He said he was going to raise money to have my leg mended. He left the village and hasn't returned. He's a kindhearted man, but I think he might be involved in something dangerous. I got so worried…Here's a sketch of him." She unfolded a piece of parchment with a hand-drawn picture on it and gave it to Mark. "It's a poor likeness at best, but…His name is Dorcas. Do you know of him?"

Mark passed the picture to the rest of the group. Each of them shook their heads however as the picture was returned to Lyn, who gave it back to Natalie.

"I'm sorry. I don't believe I've seen or heard of him."

"I see…If you do meet him, please give him a message. Tell him that Natalie is looking for him."

"I will tell him. I promise."

"Time to set up the watch," Kent said as he and Sain trotted their horses to the main entrance.

"I'm not sleepy yet. I'll go explore the rest of the fortress," said Mark.

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Outside the fortress, a muscuar man hiding behind a tree stared at the now-occupied fortress.

"Here they are," he snickered. "We've finally tracked down the band that defeated Migal.

Another bandit arrived and spoke to him. "So they've decided to hole up in this ruined fortress. Perfect. We'll wait 'til it gets dark, and then…" He was smacked in the head by the first one.

"You're an idiot, Ratface!" the man yelled. "There are only a few of them, and some are women! If we attacked them at night, I'd be a laughingstock! Besides, we might hurt the women by mistake! I will not be so wasteful!"

"You're right, Carjiga! You're so smart!"

Carjiga ignored him and said, "We'll avenge Migal and get some pretty souvenirs to boot. Who knows, maybe I'll be a leader after all. Ha ha ha!" he called to the rest of the bandits in the woods that have been in hiding. "Let's go! Spread out and encircle the place, you rogues! Let's finish this before it gets too dark to see!"

He watched as his band surrounded the fortress, with the exception of one. That particular person was tall, very muscular, red hair, and a yellow-green sleeveless shirt.

"Hey, you! Your name's…Dorcas, right?"

"…" Dorcas just stared at Carjiga.

"You haven't done much since you joined us. If those weapons of yours aren't just for show, today's the day to let us see what you can do."

"…"

"I want you to attack from the back entrance to the east. There's supposed to be a woman inside. I want you to capture her. Do that, and I'll increase your share of the take. If you want gold, you'll get the job done."

With that, Carjiga left, leaving Dorcas to think. "A bunch of women, huh? It would break Natalie's sweet heart to see me sink so low."

Unbeknownst to them, Mark, who had been at a vantage point, had noticed them talk, and from the sound of a horse's gallop he could tell that Sain and Kent have seen them too.

_It's gonna get dark. Better activate 'it'._ Mark close his eyes and focused on doing something he really should've done the moment he saw those bandits when they first met Lyn. As he had written in his journal, he knows a little magic. Muttering a few words, he began to cast it on both himself and Kat.

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Inside the fortress, Kat was snoozing beside Lyn before they were both shaken awake by Kent.

"Lady Lyndis! Kat! Outside the fortress! Bandits!"

When Kat opened her eyes, she was bombarded with a slew of numbers appearing all over her vision.

"What did you say?" said Lyn.

"Persistent bunch, aren't they?" Sain remarked. "What do you think? Shall we go out and face them?"

"No… Natalie cannot move well, and that would put her in danger. Let them come to us. We'll fight here, within these walls." She then turned to the younger tactician. "Kat, where's your brother?"

"I think he said he was going to explore. he should probably know the situation right now. Don't worry, I'm about as good as he is." Kat didn't tell Lyn that she was seeing numbers, which have now sorted themselves out. She could also hear Florina and Wil getting ready as well .

"Okay, Kat, take over until Mark gets here. For now, the command is yours. All we have to do is hold out until they tire and leave."

"Will do."

Natalie noticed them. "Oh…"

"Rest easy, Natalie. No one will harm you! Listen, everyone! Fight with caution!"

Setting the 'numbers' aside, Kat gave her orders, "Lyn, take the east entrance! Sain, Kent, defend the main door! Wil, there's a crack in the wall to the west! Make sure to take down anybody who tries to break down the wall. Florina, stay low, and stick with the knights! Make use of the javelins we bought. Let's move out!"

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As Wil made it to the crack, he ran into Mark.

"Mark!"

"We're surrounded on all sides. I saw a Brigand and Archer near the crack. I'm counting on you to neutralize them before they make another opening."

"You can count on me!"

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Meanwhile, Lyn (who had taken a few seconds to fix her hair as she ran) and Kat were watching the eastern opening when they encountered, a robust man, a Fighter (who were more refined in appearance than Brigands), entered their sights, a throwing axe in hand. "Wait…That man over there… Doesn't he look somewhat like that picture of Natalie's husband?" Lyn asked.

The spell Mark had cast on himself and Kat enabled them to "see" things, like their enemy's strength, their weaponry, all the combat-related essentials. Oh, and names. Her "Scan" spell identified the name of the man in front of them to be Dorcas. Although his appearance seemed to match anyway.

"Seems like it," Kat answered. Just then, Dorcas threw his axe at them, forcing them to dodge. "Although he naturally doesn't know us."

"I need to talk to that man."

"Go. It'll take him a few seconds to get another axe."

And in seconds, Lyn was face-to-face with Dorcas, before he could attack once more, she called out, "You! Tell me, are you Dorcas?"

This made him pause. "How do you know my name?"

"Natalie told me. What are you doing with these rogues?"

"I need money…" he answered shamefully.

"That may be, but…joining up with mercenaries?"

"It's the only way to earn gold in these parts. I'll do anything…even this."

"For gold? Anything? Would you hurt your wife? Natalie is here! We're protecting her within this fortress!"

The Fighter was astonished from this news. "What!? Natalie's…She's here?"

"She was so worried that she came looking for you. Think, Dorcas! Would your actions please your wife?"

Dorcas, remaining silent, shok his head. "You're right."

"Well?"

"I understand. I can't do this. I'm done with these bandits. Here and now."

"Really?"

"Yes…And I would repay you for your kindness toward Natalie. Allow me to fight for you."

"Welcome to Lyndis's Legion, Dorcas," Kat introduced herself. "I'm this group's tactician Kat. Well, one of them at least. My older brother Mark's leading the others inside. Come on. Natalie's waiting."

"So you're their tactician…but…"

"I know. I just **look** young, that's all," she fibbed as the two made their way through the fortress's interior, leaving Lyn to guard the east entrance.

"I see. I'll use my axes and fight alongside you. Direct me as you will."

As the two briskly walked, Florina, who was just about to acquire another javelin, gasped at the sight of the Fighter. Kat was quick to quell any alerts. "Don't worry. He's on our side now. Spread the word."

The Pegasus Knight did as told to the best of her ability, starting with Kent, after making sure he had some breathing room.

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Outisde the fortress, Carjiga was seething at the fact that none of his bandits had managed to fell even at least one enemy. "What are you waiting for? She's just a child! A girl! Grrr! Get more men up here now!"

With that, more bandits from the woods began to surround the fortress.

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Back inside, as Kat told Mark of their new addition to the Legion, Dorcas was talking with his wife.

"Natalie!"

"Is it you?"

"Natalie!" He wrapped his beloved in his arms. "Are you all right? What were you thinking, coming out all this way?"

"I was worried about you. Please, don't let my leg trouble you anymore. You mustn't put yourself in such danger. Please!" she begged him.

"I'm sorry. I must have been out of my head. I didn't realize…That girl Lyn made me open my eyes."

"Lyndis brought you here?"

"I'll explain later. We've got to drive back these bandits first. Listen, stay put. Don't move from here."

"All right. As long as you're here, I know I'm safe." With that, Natalie kissed Dorcas briefly on the lips before he was instructed by Mark to assist at the front entrance and ordering an injured Kent to fall back and use a vulnerary.

FERnKBB—FERnKBB—FERnKBB—FERnKBB

As the battle wore on, the Legion managed to successfully break through and one of them (Lyn) was already on her way to face the bandit leader Carjiga.

"Urgh! How? Why are they so tough?" He gasped, then turned to one other bandit. "You! Bring more men here right away!" Right after he said that, he readied his axe and managed to block the Mani Katti with it. Unbeknownst to Carjiga, Mark was on the move from the eastern entrance to flank him, leaving it under Florina's guard. And after the last of the bandits going for the crack were felled, Wil was to support her.

Carjiga was certainly tougher than Batta, Zugu, or Migal. And he certainly was a bit smarter too, as he was taking more time in dodging than the others had. It was as if he was waiting for an opening, and it was starting to irritate Lyn.

Thankfully for her, Mark had managed to arrive, his clothes torn in certain areas, but otherwise relatively unharmed. He had to knock out two bandits before finally reaching Carjiga's blind spot, not once entering the Brigand's attention, which was entirely on Lyn. Just as the bandit managed to make a cut at Lyn's arm, Mark used one end of his staff like a spear to strike Carjiga in the back, stunning him. He did this repeatedly at a fast speed, especially after he heard Lyn's cry of pain. None of the other bandits came to assist due to being occupied with Dorcas and Sain (as well as Kent once he was back).

He kept doing this until he saw a sword pierce Carjiga's body; Lyn had managed to recover enough to land a thrust.

"Arrgh.. This isn't…Not me…" These were Carjiga's last words.

A far-off bandit, who had been bringing in more men (and was the one called Ratface), saw this, their failing situation, then finally said, "Curses! They're not human! Listen up, rogues! Retreat! Pull back!"

On hearing an order to flee, they immediately did so, especially after comprehending the many of their dead comrades around them. Kat almost suffered a fainting, but only because of the many bodies piled up at one place.

Lyn noticed this as she pulled her sword out of Carjiga's body. "Look, Mark! The foe is fleeing! Victory is ours!"

"I almost had my doubts," admitted the tactician. "If we're gonna continue fighting, we're gonna need a healer." Kat actually knows a curative spell, but is very shy about using it. It was not like the healing magics the Clerics and Priests of St. Elimine, and she said she'd rathernot use it unless it was an emergency.

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Sometime after the fight…

As Lyndis's Legion took a well-deserved break, one certain couple was together in each other's arms.

"Dorcas!"

"I'm so sorry, Natalie."

"All's well that ends well. Right, Natalie?' said Lyn. Meanwhile, as the rest of the Legion made small talk with one another, with Florina just keeping her distance, Mark and Kat were discussing having Dorcas join the group, but with Natalie's permission, of course. The prospect of him dying while away is saddening, and while the two of them were going to ensure that that wasn't going to happen, the fact that he would be leaving Natalie, given her condition…

In the end, they decided to at least offer.

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Later that night.

"Our village is close. I'll take Natalie home and return tomorrow," Dorcas told Lyn.

The Sacaean swordswoman was confused. "Hm? Why can't we just say our farewells today?"

"Well, I…I spoke with Mark and Kat… I've been invited to join your group."

"But we're going to Lycia…"

"I have to go somewhere to earn money. If you think I'll be of use, I'd like to fight for you. You helped my wife…I owe you."

"Dorcas…"

Natalie smiled back at her savior. "Please, Lyn. We are both in agreement on this. Watch over my husband."

Lyn nodded and watched as the two of them left for their village.

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Back inside the fortress, the Legion was setting up camp once more.

"Things have finally calmed down," Lyn sighed as she joined Sain and Kent near the main entrance of the fortress. Everybody else was already asleep.

"We'll continue taking turns keeping watch," Kent offered. "Please rest easily."

"Is that all right? Are you sure? Sain?"

"Oh! Er, yes! Of course!" the green Cavalier answered.

"Let me warn you…If bandits sneak up on you, they'll cut you down without mercy," Lyn warned. "Do you understand that?"

"What, do you doubt my bravery? Am I not a knight? There's no need to worry!" He turned to his comrade. "Right, Kent?"

"If there's anything suspicious, We'll take care of it. Rest assured."

"Really? Well, good night then. See you tomorrow." And with that, Lyn walked off.

"Let's go," Kent told his fellow knight as he trotted off to the entrance.

"Ha! No one ever trusts me…" Sain laghed to himself as he followed.

FERnKBB—FERnKBB—FERnKBB—FERnKBB

**O Dorcas Zallege**  
A man from a small village in Bern. Fights for his wife Natalie. We recruited him to our cause after we found him working for the Ganelon Bandits who were after us.

**Δ**** Natalie Zallege**  
Dorcas's wife. We found her looking for her husband while hiding out in a fortress. She now waits back home for her husband to return.

**X Carjiga**  
A member of the Ganelon Bandits who led them to attack us after we had taken down its leader Migal. We successfully defeated him, further demoralizing the Ganelons, although I have a feeling we might face them one last time.

(A/N: I don't know if javelins can be bought in the armory in the previous chapter, maybe not, but this is a story, not a game, so to heck with it.)


End file.
